Pneumatic underblast and stacker.



No. 738,959. BATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

A. H. AN HOUWBLINGEN. PNEUMATIC UNDERBLAST AND STAGKER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21 1903.

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No. 738,959. PATBNTED SEPT. 15, 1908. A. H. VAN HOUWELINGEN.

PNEUMATIC UNDERBLAST AND STAGKBR.

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No. 738,959. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903. A. H. VAN HOUWELINGEN.

PNEUMATIC UNDERBLAST AND STAGKER.

APPLICATION FILED KAY 21, 1903.

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- U irEn STATES Patented September 15, 1903. PAT NT OFFICE.

AAnr' H. VAN HOUWELINGEN, OF PELLA, IOWA.

PNEUMATIC UNDERBLAST AND S' I'ACKERQ SPECIFICATION formin gpart of Letters Patent No. 738,959, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed May 21, 1903. smart. 158,164. a. model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, AART H. VAN HOUWEL: INGEN, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Pella, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Underblast Stackers for Grain -Threshers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear; and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in pneumatic stackers for'grain threshers and separators; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of the carrier for delivering the chaff and the threshed straw to the pneumatic stacker apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to combine with the said carrier improved means to deliver the chaff and threshed straw to the pneumatic stacking apparatus and, further, to combine therewith a revoluble beater to facilitate the delivery of the chaff and straw to the pneumatic stacking apparatus.

A further object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of the blower-fan which creates the air-blast that pneumatically delivers the straw and chafi to the stacker.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved means for regulating the supplyof air to the said fan.

A further object of my invention is to ef-v fect improvements in the construction of the casing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1- is a side elevation of a pneumatic stacker embodying my improvements, showing also the rear portion of a grain separator and thresher of the usual form to which my improved pneumatic stacker is attached. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the same, taken on the plane indicated by the line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the casing forming part of the conduit for the air-blast. Fig. 5 is adetail horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by the line b b of Fig. 1, showing the means for regulating the supply of air to the blower. The frame 1 of my improved pneumatic stacker is preferably made of angle-steel and may be either of the form here shown or any other suitable construction. On the sills 2 of said frame, which project rearwardly from the grain thresher and separator, are trestles 3; which are provided-with bearings 4 for a oneend of the said shaft is a driving-pulley 7, which when the machine is in operation is connected by a suitable power-belt to a suitable pulley on the cylinder-shaft. This power-belt is indicated in Fig. l as extending toward the rear end of the grain separator and thresher. Since its connection with a stood, said pulley and said cylinder, since they are no part of my present improvement,

are not here shown.

The blades 8 of the blower-fan are curved, as shown. The same are preferably made of sheet or plate metal of suitable thickness and are attached to similarly-curved spokearms 9, which project from the hubs on the shaft 5, and the said blades are provided on their front sides with inner forwardly-pro jecting flanges 10 and with side forwardly projecting flanges 11, said flanges being formed integrally with the respective blades by bending the sheets or platesof metal of which the blades are constructed. This construction of the blades of the fan causes the same to be greatly strengthened, and, moreover, the provision of the said flanges facilitates the operation of the fan or blower and increases its efficiency. Said fan or blower revolves in a drum 12, which is of the usual substantially cylindrical form and from which extends a blast-conduit 13, which communicates at its upper end with a stackertube 14:. The stacker-tube may be of the usual or any preferred form, and in practice the same is provided with a turntable of the usual form where it joins the discharge-neck 15 or collar of the conduit 13. The latter inclines rearwardly and forms a casing which may be constructed either in connection with the drum 12 and permanently attached thereto or may be separable from the drum. The

pulley on the cylinder will be readily under-.

shaft 5, which carries a blower-fan 6. On

intermediate portion 16 of the conduit 13 forms a blast-spreader. The same is widened, narrows toward the point of communication with the blower-drum, and also contracts toward the discharge neck or collar 15. On the inner side of the broadened intermediate portion 16 of the conduit is an opening 17, which constitutes the feed opening of the pneumatic stacking apparatus, the straw and chaif being fed to the blastconduit through the said opening.

The frame 1 carries the angular frame 18 of a carrier 19, which comprises a lower upwardly and rearwardly inclined chaff-section 20 and an upper upwardly and rearwardly inclined straw-section 21, disposed at an angle to the chaff-section. The said carrier has an endless movable carrier and within the scope of my invention may be of any suitable construction. For the purposes of this specification the said carrier is shown as comprising endless traveling sprocket-chains 22 and cross-sectionally angular flights 23, which connect them together, the said flights being made of iron or steel. At the lower and upper ends respectively of the endless traveling carrier are shafts 24 25, which are provided with sprocket-wheels 26, that are engaged by the chains 22. The said upper shaft 25 is provided at one end with a pulley 27. The said pulley is connected by a crossed belt 28 to a similar pulley 29 on the fan-shaft 5, and hence the said carrier is driven, as will be understood. The upper leads of the carrierchains 22 operate on direction-sheaves 30, which are mounted in the angle of the frame 18, and the lower leads of the said chains operate on similar direction-sheaves 31, which are also mounted in the angle of said frame. Preferably the said direction-sheaves are provided with side flanges to keep the said chains in engagement therewith. I do not limit myself in this particular. A bottom board 32 extends from side to side of the frame 18, conforms thereto in angular shape, and the flights of the upper lead of the carrier operate on the said bottom board. In practice the carrier is so related to the coacting parts of the threshing and separating machine that the chaff is fed from the chafing-riddle m of said machine onto the chaff-section of the carrier and the straw is fed from the straw-rack w of the machine onto the straw-section of the carrier. The rear end portion of the carrier is disposed opposite and in proximity to the feed-opening 17 of the blast-conduit 13, so that the straw and chai'r" are carried from the machine to the said blast-conduit. The carrier is in a casing 33, which is also secured to and carried by the frame 1. The side walls of this casing are preferably made of sheet metal. Said side walls converge rearwardly toward the carrier, as at 34, to facilitate the delivery of the chaif and straw from the chaffin g-riddle and straw-rack to the chaff and straw sections of the carrier. the casin g are attached to the frame of the car- These side walls 33 of' rier within the sides of said frame and overlapping the same and also overhanging the sides of the carrier represented by the endless chains 22, this construction greatly facilitating the feeding of the material to the carrier and also prevents clogging of the material at the sides of the carrier. The rear portion of the cover of the casing inclines downwardly, as at 35, to form a contracted throat opening directly above the discharge portion of the carrier, the downwardly-inclined portion 35 of the casing also forming a deflector and bafl'le' to direct straw, chaff, and other particles downwardly onto the carrier at the rear portion of the casing 33.

Immediately above the discharge portion of the carrier, at a suitable distance therefrom, is a revoluble beater 36, which is provided with radially-disposed beating-arms 37. This revoluble beater has its shaft journaled in suitable bearings 38, with which frame 1 is provided, and said shaft has at one end a pulley 39 and a pulley 40. Said pulley 39 is connected by an endless belt 41 to a pulley 42 on the blower-shaft 5, and hence power is communicated to the said beater and the latter caused to rotate. Immediately in front of the heater is an endless traveling throat-feeder 43. The same comprises aframe having triangular sides 44, disposed within the sides of the casing 33; a cross-bar 45, which connects the said frame sides 44 together; a driveshaft 46 at the lower rear end of said frame, said shaft having suitable hearings in which it rotates shafts 47 48, which connect the front ends and the intermediate lower portion of the frame sides 44 together; rollers on the said shafts 46 47 48, and an endless traveling belt 49, which operates on said rollers, said belt being driven in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 by the said shaft 46. The latter has at one end a pulley 50, which is connected by an endless belt 51 to the pulley 40 on the beater-shaft. It will be understood from the foregoing thatthe downwardlyinclined baffle 35 and the said throat-feeder serve to direct the straw and chaff downwardly onto the discharge portion of the carrier and cause the same to be delivered by the carrier and further prevent the carrier from being choked by an undue accumulation of material thereon. The rearward movement of the under lead of the throat-feederis in accord with that of the upper lead of the carrier, and this also facilitates the delivery of the material to the pneumatic apparatus. As the material emerges from under the throat-feeder it is caught by the beater 36, and the said heater, being in revolution, serves to beat the material downwardly and rearwardly into the widened spreading portion of the blast-conduit, where it is caught by the .blast from the blower fan and conveyed thereby to and through the stacker-tube, the upper contracted portion of the blast-conduit where it communicates with the lower end of the stacker-tube acting on the principle of IIO the vena-contracta to facilitate the passage of the material to and through the stackertube. I will now describe improved means for regulating the supply of air to the blower-fan.

The sides of the drum are provided with airintake openings 53 and on the sides of the drum are horizontally-disposed guideways 54, in which operate shutters 55, which are movable simultaneously in opposite directions toward and from each other by right and left hand screw-shafts 55. Said screw-shafts are mounted in suitable bearings 56, and each is provided at its front end with a miter-gear 57. A transversely-disposed shaft 58 is j ournaled in suitable bearings 59, is provided with miter-gears 60, which engage the gear 57, and is provided at one end with a gear 61, which is engaged by a similar gear 62 at the lower end of avertical shaft 63. Said vertical shaft is journaled in suitable bearings 64 and is provided at its upper end with a hand-wheel I 65 by which it'may be manually operated,

and it will be understood that by appropriately turning saidshaft motion will be communicated to the shutters by the gearing hereinbefore described and the shutters caused to move toward or from'each other, as may be required to close or uncover the air-intake openings of the drum, and hence regulate the supply of air to the blower-fan.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

Y what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A blower-fan of the class described, having blades provided on their front sides with forwardly-extending inner and side flanges, substantially as described.

2. A blower-fan of the class described having curved blades provided on their convex front sides with forwardly-extendinginner and side flanges, substantially as describedj 3. In combination with a blower-fan, and drum therefor having air-inlet openings, guide elements, shutters guided by said guide elements and movable toward and from each other to vary the effective area of said openings, right andleft hand screw-shafts engaged by traveling nuts with which the shutters are provided, and means to rotate said screwshafts and thereby operate said shutters, substantially as described.

4. In combination with pneumatic stacker apparatus, an endless traveling carrier to feed the same, said endless traveling carrier comprising a lower chaff-section and an upper straw-section, said sections being angularly disposed with reference to each other, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a grain thresher and separator having a chaff-ejecting means, and a straw-ejecting means, a carrier extending upwardly and rearwardly from said machine, and comprising a lower section disposed in operative relation to the chaff-ej ecting means, and an upper section disposed in similar relation to the straw-ejecting means, and a pneumatic stacker apparatus, having a blastconduit provided with an opening, the discharge portion of the carrier being disposed at said opening, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a stacker apparatus, a feed-carrier therefor, a supplementary feeder coacting with the discharge portion of said carrier, and a beater in rear of said supplementary feeder, substantially as described.

'7 The combination of a casing having a rearwardly-contracted portion, an upwardly and re'arwardly inclined carrier in said rearwardly-contraoted portion of the casing, a supplementary feeder above and coacting with the discharge portion of said carrier, a revoluble beater in rear of said supplementary feeder, and a pneumatic stacker apparatus including a blast-conduit having a feed-opening in which said carrier discharges,'substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing'witnesses.

AART H. VAN HOUWVELINGEN,

Witnesses:

JOHN DYKSTRA,

SIMON VAN HAHN. 

